Understanding
by Little Green Dragon
Summary: It had started with a joke. Malfoy’s fault of course. Contains slash HD


Author: Little Green Dragon Title: Understanding Summary: It had started with a joke. Malfoy's fault of course. Disclaimer: Not mine, blah blah blah. This story contains slash (of the H/D variety). If you don't like it then bugger off. Chapter: 1/ ?  
  
It had started with a joke. Malfoy's fault of course.  
  
"Watch where you're going, Weasley!"  
  
Ron raised his eyebrow "Don't blame your own clumsiness on me, Malfoy - I didn't touch you."  
  
"You made me spill my potion." the other boy whined, in a voice just loud enough for Professor Snape to hear.  
  
Ron put his hand to his heart in mock sympathy, "Ohhhh.you poor bastard."  
  
Harry and Hermione watched, shocked as the Professor stormed from the front of the classroom, moving just fast enough to catch Ron's words. "Mr Weasley." Ron stopped suddenly. "Are you creating a disturbance?"  
  
"He bumped into me and made me spill my potion, sir." Malfoy offered 'helpfully' with a look of concern on his face that quickly changed to a manipulative grin as Snape turned to Ron; a sour expression on his face.  
  
"Mr Weasley, if you are going to make a mess of your own studies that is no concern of mine, but when you distract the more talented members of the class who do have a future then I am forced to intervene - Twenty points from Gryffindor."  
  
Harry should have know better, "But sir, Ron didn't-" Snape fixed him with a glare that silenced him.  
  
"Mr Potter, I suggest that you return to your desk and continue your work unless you fancy joining Mr Weasley in his plot to lose Gryffindor the house cup." Harry caught his drift and sat down, muttering to himself as Snape stormed back to the front.  
  
"And I suggest that you help Mr Malfoy clean up this mess." he snapped in a voice that suggestion played no part in it.  
  
Ron clenched his teeth. "Yes sir."  
  
"Mr Malfoy, see me after supper. You will have to remake this particular potion." Malfoy's triumphant grin abruptly faded.  
  
Ron repeated his earlier gesture, hand over his heart. As the rest of the class went back to work Malfoy hissed, "And if anyone in this class could be considered a poor bastard, Weasley, it certainly wouldn't be me."  
  
The tips of Ron's ears turned a violent shade of red and physical restraint leaked from him in torrents as he clenched his fists. Still, he managed to keep his cool, staying silent until Snape was well and truly distracted as on the other side of the room as Neville's potion boiled over and began to eat away the desks. "One of these days, Malfoy.I swear."  
  
"You want to make something of it, Weasley?" Malfoy mouthed at him in a voice that implied he would never have the guts to stand up to him.  
  
"South tower, fifth floor, third room on the left. Midnight."  
  
Malfoy looked vaguely surprised and slightly amused but never the less his words dripped with maliciousness. "You want to fight me? Are you sure that that's such a good idea Weasley? I mean your ineptitude is widely known through the school. I don't think there'd be a student here who wouldn't have heard about that episode with the armadillo," the last part said in a voice loud enough to remind several students nearby, causing them to snicker slightly.  
  
Ron blushed furiously, remembering the incident in question but never the less managed to keep up his bravado. "Just be there," he said with certainty.  
  
"My pleasure," replied Malfoy curtly. "But come prepared to lose, Weasley. I'd hate for it to be a shock for you."  
  
Ron, unable to think of a comeback, glared at him before returning to his desk.  
  
"Don't," he said to Hermione, who seemed desperate to give her opinion on the confrontation.  
  
"Fine," she retorted, desperately trying to keep herself in check, "I won't say a thing.but are you sure you know what you're getting yourself in for here, Ron?"  
  
"I'm not particularly worried about it," replied Ron, looking nonplussed.  
  
"None of us know how much dark arts Malfoy knows.you could really be getting yourself into trouble.again," she continued Ron, choosing to ignore her comment, started to grin.  
  
"Ron! This is serious! I'd be really worried if I were you."  
  
"You wouldn't if you knew about the room where our supposed duel is to take place." Harry finally caught on, "Wait a minute, South Tower, fifth floor." his face broke into a broad grin.  
  
"Good one, Ron."  
  
Hermione was beginning to look slightly agitated. "Would either of you care to fill me in?" she said, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
Ron leaned in towards her, speaking quietly in case they were overheard, "The room has some sort of magical door. You can go in at any time, but the handle on the inside only works in between 4 and 5 in the afternoon-"  
  
"- how did you find it?" she interrupted.  
  
"Found it on a midnight walk last Christmas, when you went home," Harry explained, " Ron and I spend half the day in there once. nearly killed each other from boredom."  
  
"So, what? Malfoy spends half the day in a room by himself then promptly gets out and complains to Snape and you get another detention."  
  
"See, that's the beauty of it all. He wouldn't be able to tell anyone." Ron exclaimed gleefully.  
  
"If he told anyone, he'd have to explain what he was doing out of bed at night, and about the duel. He'd get in just as much trouble as Ron would. He wouldn't risk it."  
  
"Ah.but you haven't heard the icing on the cake yet.I also found out that's where Professor Creeny has been keeping the Cornish Pixies for the second- year DADA classes, in a big box marked Don't Touch." At this Ron started to giggle,".the way I figure it, Malfoy is just stupid, curious and arrogant enough to look anyway."  
  
"Pure genius."  
  
To be continued.  
  
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